A Delhi court on Friday passed an order extending the 14-day police custody of alleged mastermind Lalit Jha, arrested in connection with the Parliament security breach case, till January 5, 2024.

Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur after hearing the submissions on behalf of Delhi Police extended the fourteen days police custody of Jha.

Government Counsel for Delhi Police submitted before the court that he was the mastermind of the incident and was also accused of destroying the evidence and hatched a conspiracy in the case.

He submitted that a in-depth investigation is required to unearth the larger conspiracy behind the act and for this purpose, a 14-day police custody is required so that all the six accused arrested in this case could be produced again on the same day before the court after investigation.

It is submitted that the investigation is at a crucial stage and the accused persons are required to be taken away at different places to find out who are the people behind it.

The Judge has directed the Investigating officer to hand over a copy of FIR to one of the accused Neelam after hearing her application.

Delhi Police, after expiring of 7 days police custody of four accused persons Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Neelam Verma, Amol Shinde, who were arrested under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), were produced before the court yesterday and got the fifteen days police custody till January, 5.

Delhi Police has registered an First Information Report (FIR) under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with an intent to cause riot), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 452 (trespass), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servants from discharge of his duty) define under Indian Penal Code(IPC) and Sections 16 and 18 of UAPA against the accused persons.

(With UNI inputs)